Back Again

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And that's it, folks. Back again in Durham, putting my life back together after an amazing dream.



I slept terribly on the flights back -- maybe 5 hours on the 8-hour flight, and almost not at all on the last 4-hour redeye from LAX. I got into RDU at 5:30am, had a bit of a shuttle snafu but was still home by 6:15 or so. I know that you're supposed to stay awake for the day to get used to the time change, but it was physically impossible for me, especially since it was still dark. So, I crashed, hoping to wake up by 10 or so. But I was so freaking wiped, whenever I woke up I felt terrible and my shoulder tendons were shaking. It's kind of a weird feeling to describe, but there was absolutely no way I was leaving the bed so I ended up sleeping until 3pm, when I finally felt like I could face the sunlight (of which there was plenty -- at least it's not raining here) without wanting to punch the world in the face. I've come to my favorite coffeeshop and am finishing this blog as I started it -- on my iPad. I'm barely functional and have already spilled my coffee all over the place (A+, Rinker), but the blogging needs to be done!





In review, this trip has been an amazing adventure, though it's already starting to seem like a dream. There have been ups and downs to the trip, though I tried to only mention the ups in this blog. :D I have been able to do amazing things -- bungee jumping, surfing, seeing glowworms, partying with Aussies -- and I have met tons of amazing people. I have learned about the country and I have learned about myself. I am not afraid to start up conversations with random people, and I am better at gauging people when I first meet them. I now know that hostels provide bedding and well-instrumented kitchens, that New Zealand lies directly on a faultline, and that sometimes the best profiles on couchsurfing do not correspond to good hosts. Are there things I would have done differently? Absolutely! But mistakes are inevitable, and the only way you learn is by trying. So I rate this trip a huge success, 11/10, 5 gold stars, the whole shebang.





It's time to sign off, now, at least until my next adventure. I encourage you to reach out to me if you want to, ask me anything about this trip or any experience I have had. I like talking to people, I like people -- it helps me be a good traveler. And if you're still reading, thanks! I hope my mundane prose didn't bore you too much. :D





Cheers, one and all.





- Jenni

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